This invention relates to an all season, corrosion-free, condensation-free, flush-mounted automatic ceiling air intake for agricultural buildings.
Agricultural buildings generally have a well ventilated attic, a room below the attic for animals, a ceiling between the attic and the room, and an exhaust fan in the building to remove stagnant and putrid air from the room. The air intake is adapted to permit large capacities of fresh air from the attic to be drawn through the intake into the room under the influence of the building exhaust fan. The air intake of the present invention with its flush-mount design will also work well in a wall mount arrangement drawing fresh air into the room from outside of the building.
It is well known that seasonal problems occur in controlling the atmosphere within poultry, dairy, hog, calf, cattle and horse barns or buildings. The air within such buildings becomes stagnant and ridden with ammonia and moisture--all detrimental the health, growth and production of the animals. In the summer it is necessary to cool the buildings to prevent heat stress, to control flies and flying insects, and to maintain production levels of animals otherwise exposed to high temperatures. In the winter, agricultural buildings are typically plagued with inconsistent air temperatures throughout the building and cold air drafts which may be detrimental to poultry and animals. Further still, the ceilings, walls and floors of agricultural buildings in the winter are often damp with moisture or condensation.
In the past, agriculturalists have used integrated systems of variable speed exhaust fans, suitably operated by thermostatically controlled speed modulators, together with air intakes. Air intakes react to the withdrawal of air within the building by exhaust fans as well as the static pressure changes associated with enclosed buildings as they let fresh air into the buildings. Such systems may use high velocity air exchange and circulation for cooling in the summer and gentle draft-free air exchange and air movement during the winter months.
There are many styles and sizes of known air intakes. There are intakes that are to be installed in the ceiling, wall, and at the juncture of the ceiling and wall Intakes also come in large and small capacities. Small capacities may be considered to move 600 to 800 cubic feet per minute while large capacity intakes move between 1,200 and 1,500 cubic feet per minute. While small capacity air intakes are suitable for small buildings, large capacity intakes are more appropriate for large buildings otherwise requiring a multitude of small air intakes for adequate air exchange and distribution.
Known intakes are plagued with a variety of problems, however. Materials from which known intakes are constructed are often subject to corrosion due to the moisture and putrid atmosphere often associated with agricultural buildings. Such materials are also subject to condensation forming upon the intakes which further promotes corrosion. Virtually all known intakes jut into the room of the buildings in which they are installed. Consequently, buildings with confining walls and low ceilings pose an intake obstruction or clearance problem for both the farmer and the animals. With portions of the air intake jutting into the room of the building, they are further subject to corrosion and condensation resulting from exposure to the moisture and other gases within the room. Furthermore, these known intakes are not fully automatic in that they require manual setting which must be seasonally adjusted.
There is a need for a corrosion-free, condensation-free, flush-mounted automatic air intake for agricultural buildings. Such an intake should be under the influence of a building exhaust fan and be capable of automatically permitting large capacities of fresh air from the attic to be drawn through the intake into the room of the building to blend and mix fresh air and building air, to cool poultry and livestock, to keep ceilings, walls and floors moisture free, to keep the buildings smelling fresh and ammonia free and to promote consistent air temperature throughout the buildings from floor to ceiling while yet not producing any obstruction within the room that might jut out from the ceiling or walls.